CD Reviews

Happiness is...

Private Quentin Tarantino Fan | nowhere | 12/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ultra smooth lounge jazz without the turgid kenny g solos and canned beats and whatever the _________ plauges fake "jazz". Charlie Brown? Who gives? This is great laid back jazz. Of course, it may seem awfully familiar to you, which may just make you laugh. Plenty of these songs are known well, especially Linus and Lucy. Kick yourself if you don't recongize it and are past the age of 13. You managed to miss Peanuts. Not sure how somebody can do that!

Aside from the fact that this has to do with Charlie Brown, you must give credit to the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Vince's piano playing is always melodic, and there are no horns like Miles Davis. It's non stop jazzy, or whatever you want to call it. I'll put it simple. If you are looking for music to dim the lights too and pour a glass of wine, then put on this cd. OR going anywhere. Heck, just listen to some of the clips on this cd. Unless you totally hate jazz, I don't see how you could not enjoy this.

I still can enjoy it, even though the ________ cd is so scratched it's a wonder the damn thing still runs. Fortunately, the songs are pretty implanted into my brain, so I can still listen to the songs on autopilot go on and on in my head while doing homework or other random _____. The music will stick with you. IF you are a Peanuts lover, chances are this cd will be worth more to you. However, I haven't seen enough Peanuts to reconize all of the songs, and those songs are still as catchy and good as any songs I've heard. Enough ranting. Best of all, it's not Christmas themed, which is refreshing because: 1. Christmas songs haven't impacted me in 12 years because they are so _______ overdone by heartless ______ corporations, and 2. It will never feel out of place. Christmas albums in the summer?

(Laughs)

9.0/10"

Fills that void... and then some!

JoeyD | los gatos, ca | 07/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This music evokes such wonderful, fond memories for me of jiffy-pop popcorn, skinned knees, sleeping bags, pillow fights, legos, lincoln logs, etc... etc... It's too darn bad that children have to grow up to be people one day. However, thank the heavens above that we have music like this to bring us back to those simpler, much more tranquil times. Long before there was "Sponge Bob", "Beavis & Butthead", "South Park", "The Simpsons", "Family Guy", etc... there was "Peanuts". A toon about a lovable loser, his daffy, dexterous dog and their group of colorful, memorable pals. Yet it was so much more than that. As a child of the 70's, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Schroeder, Woodstock, et al... were not merely just cartoon characters, they were a part of us of all. How many of you remember how excited you got whenever a "Peanuts" special was on? It was huge, momentous occasion, and the world for us, seemed to stop completely during that special hour. What made it even more special was the fact that even our jaded, pooped-out parents seemed to enjoy it almost as much as we children did. This CD awakens those childhood memories, memories full of harmony and joy. In fact, every time I hear "Linus & Lucy" I feel as if I want to cry... and for a burnt-out, cynical guy like me, that rarely happens anymore.

This is excellent music folks. Read all the glowing, wonderful reviews below me and my Amazon amigos will tell you the exact same thing. As an avid jazz fan, this trio needs to be taken seriously. Vincent Guaraldi, Monty Budwig (bass) & Colin Bailey (drums) all play tight, straight, clean lines, and simple melodies... nothing too ornate, but beautiful all the same. I really loved their version of "Fly Me to the Moon", which was an added bonus track on this dynamite recording.

You don't have to be a jazz fan to love and appreciate this one! FIVE STARS without even blinking an eyelash."